Mehwish Kayani

Mehwish Kayani is a Pakistani youth leader, gender equality advocate, and development practitioner committed to creating spaces where young people can influence decisions, shape policies, and drive social change. With over a decade of experience working alongside civil society, governments, UN agencies, and regional networks, she has championed initiatives that promote child rights, youth leadership, inclusive governance, and gender-transformative approaches across Pakistan and South Asia.

As Co-Chair of the MenEngage Alliance  Youth Reference Group (YRG), Mehwish works to strengthen meaningful youth participation and intergenerational partnership across the Alliance. She has contributed to regional strategy discussions, concept development, programme design, and steering processes, ensuring that young people are engaged as equal partners in shaping the movement. Being involved from planning through implementation has deepened her understanding of organizing regional convenings, designing inclusive dialogue spaces, and fostering collaboration across diverse contexts.

Outside MenEngage, Mehwish serves as Program Manager at the United Global Organization of Development (UGOOD), where she leads programmes focused on youth empowerment, child rights, democratic governance, and gender equality. She also coordinates national child rights and civil society networks, working closely with government institutions, academia, development partners, and grassroots organizations to strengthen participation and accountability.

For Mehwish, MenEngage is more than a network — it is a space where young people are genuinely trusted to lead, innovate, and challenge harmful gender norms alongside experienced allies. She believes that intergenerational collaboration brings fresh ideas, shared learning, and collective responsibility, making movements stronger and more sustainable. She is particularly passionate about ensuring that youth leadership extends beyond participation to co-creation, governance, and decision-making.

Looking ahead, Mehwish hopes to continue building bridges between youth movements across South Asia, strengthening feminist allyship, promoting positive masculinities, and creating opportunities for young people to shape regional and global conversations on gender justice, care, accountability, and social transformation.